Published a book chapter on inclusive community engagement.

We authored a chapter, “Public Health’s Essential Ingredient: Inclusive Community Engagement,” which places community engagement at the center of equitable public health practice, emphasizing the opportunity to establish long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with a range of community organizations. This chapter was released in the book, Building Strategic Skills for Better Health: A Primer for Public Health Professionals, a field guide that explores nine cross-cutting skills for successful leadership and management of health agencies.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and amid resounding calls for racial justice and repeated environmental disasters, our chapter underscores the necessity for trusted relationships within and across communities to achieve better public health outcomes. Many community-rooted groups are rising to meet these challenges and opportunities, and should be recognized as part of the public health ecosystem that protects and prepares their respective communities. In this chapter, we suggest that strengthened, authentic engagement and partnership with community-rooted groups lays the groundwork for more effective public health practice, and is necessary to achieve health equity across the public health functions of assessment, policy development, and assurance.

Funder: Prevention Institute relies on core support and unrestricted funds to meet requests for resource development that benefits the field of public health.

Image of Building Strategic Skills for Better Health book cover.